Band 7.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.5 · Barron's Writing · 2026-09-19

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You live in a small apartment building. You are frequently bothered by noise from your upstairs neighbour's apartment.

Write a letter to your neighbour. In your letter
• describe the situation.
• explain why it is a problem for you.
• suggest a solution.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear _________,

Student answer (Band 7.5)

Dear Ema,

I am writing to bring to your attention a matter regarding the noise levels originating from your apartment, which has recently become quite disruptive. As our building is relatively old with thin flooring,sound travels between our units with minimal dampening.

Over the past fortnight, there has been a recurring disturbance late at night, typically involving heavy footsteps, the dragging of furniture,and occasionally loud television audio well past 11:00 PM. This commotion frequently persists into the early hours of the morning.

This ongoing situation is causing me significant distress. Because the noise occurs directly above my bedroom, my sleep cycle has been severely interrupted. Consequenty, I am suffering from persistent fatigue, which is beginning to take a toll on my productivity and concentration at work during the day.

I value our community dynamic and hope we can resolve this amicably. To that end, I was wondering if you might consider placing rugs in high-traffic areas to help muffle the sound. Alternatively, establishing a quiet period after 10:00 PM would be immensely appreciated.

Thank you for your time, consideration, and understanding.

Warm regards,

Prapti

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The response fully satisfies all requirements of the task. The student successfully addresses the recipient in an appropriate semi-formal tone and covers all three bullet points thoroughly. First, the situation is clearly described, noting the noise levels and the thin flooring of the old building. Second, the impact of the problem is explained in detail, specifically focusing on sleep interruption and subsequent workplace fatigue. Third, actionable solutions are proposed, including placing rugs in high-traffic areas and establishing a quiet period after 10.00 PM. The purpose of the letter is clear from the beginning and sustained throughout. The ideas are well-developed and appropriate for a General Training Task 1 response, demonstrating an excellent understanding of the register required. Therefore, this performance easily merits a Band 8.0.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.5

The letter exhibits a clear logical organisation and smooth progression from opening to conclusion. Each paragraph has a distinct and well-managed focus, moving logically from the description of the issue to its personal consequences, and finally to polite suggestions for resolution. Cohesive devices such as 'As our building', 'Over the past fortnight', 'This ongoing situation', and 'To that end' are used naturally and effectively to guide the reader through the text without any mechanical feel. Paragraphing is used appropriately, and referencing is clear throughout the letter. The transition of ideas between sentences and paragraphs is seamless, which fully satisfies the criteria for a high band. Minor typographical spacing issues do not detract from the overall structural cohesion. This performance warrants a Band 8.0.

Lexical Resource — Band 7.5

The student demonstrates a wide, flexible, and natural range of vocabulary appropriate for a complaint letter of this nature. Expressions such as 'bring to your attention', 'recurring disturbance', 'significant distress', and 'community dynamic' show a sophisticated control of collocation and style. Less common lexical items are used skilfully to convey precise meaning. There is only one minor typographical error where a space is missing after a comma ('furniture,and'), which is merely a slip rather than a lexical deficiency. Word choices are precise and contribute directly to the persuasive yet polite tone of the communication. The variety and accuracy of the vocabulary used easily meet the high expectations of the Band 8 descriptor.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 7.5

The writing features a wide range of complex grammatical structures used with a high degree of accuracy. The student employs varied sentence patterns, such as participial phrases ('originating from your apartment') and conditional or causal clauses ('Because the noise occurs directly above my bedroom, my sleep cycle has been...'). The majority of sentences are completely error-free, and punctuation is generally handled well. There is one minor spelling and typographical oversight in the third paragraph where the word 'Consequenty' is misspelled and missing a letter, along with the aforementioned missing space after a comma. However, these are isolated slips that do not impede communication or lower the grammatical standard of the overall response. The high density of error-free complex structures firmly supports a Band 8.0 score.

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